Rishabh Pant has had a difficult stretch, with recent leadership shake-ups adding to the pressure. After a tough period as captain of Lucknow Super Giants, he stepped away from the team’s captaincy role. Around the same time, it was also confirmed that Pant had lost the position of vice-captain for India’s Test setup, with Shubman Gill taking the lead.
Heading into India’s training camp ahead of the one-off Test against Afghanistan, Pant’s usual upbeat attitude may not have been completely untouched by the changes. Still, the mood inside the camp appears steady, with the coaching staff pointing to his mindset and willingness to lead in day-to-day work.
Quick facts
- Rishabh Pant stepped down as captain of Lucknow Super Giants after a difficult season in the role.
- He also lost the vice-captaincy for India’s Test team, with Shubman Gill confirmed in that position.
- Ahead of India’s one-off Test versus Afghanistan, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate spoke about Pant’s attitude in training.
- Ten Doeschate said Pant has kept his mentality up and remains committed to modelling the right behaviour in the group.
- Ten Doeschate revealed Pant had a direct conversation with Gautam Gambhir about expectations for a senior player.
- The coach suggested Pant’s role may have changed in title, but his influence in the team spirit remains strong.
In a press interaction before the match, ten Doeschate stressed that leadership doesn’t always depend on an official badge. He said there was no need for Pant to carry a formal title to have an impact in an “elite set-up” like this, adding that the wicket-keeper batter understands that responsibility and is focused on being a role model.
The assistant coach also outlined that Pant had already received a clear message from team management. He explained that the wicket-keeper had spoken with Gautam Gambhir, with the discussion centred on how a senior player should conduct himself—how that shows up not just in behaviour, but in communication as well, and how it connects to the way he approaches his cricket.
Ten Doeschate made it clear the team is not lowering expectations simply because Pant’s leadership responsibilities have shifted. The message, as he described it, was about meeting the standard demanded from a player of Pant’s ability, and doing so through both attitude and execution on the field.
Form, role and expectations
While the coach acknowledged that Pant has had struggles in white-ball cricket, he underlined that Pant still stands among the leading wicket-keeper batters in the world. Ten Doeschate’s view was that the changes won’t disrupt what Pant brings to the side, even if there is room for him to tweak parts of his batting based on match situations.
Ten Doeschate said the team want to keep the best of Pant’s “brilliance” intact. At the same time, he believes Pant can make small adjustments when required, suggesting that those refinements are already something Pant could be working on as the contest draws near.
Most importantly, ten Doeschate insisted there is little cause for concern about Pant’s mood or form heading into the Test. He said Pant remains part of the core group in the dressing room, regardless of what paperwork says about roles, and that there has been no visible drop in energy.
“He’s been in great spirits again,” ten Doeschate said. He added that Pant’s personality—cheerful, positive, and driven to lift the team’s atmosphere—has remained consistent, and suggested that even with a change in the leadership structure, his presence would be hard to notice as anything other than the same.
With the upcoming Test against Afghanistan in view, the assistant coach ended with confidence in Pant’s return to the crease. “So no concerns about Rishabh. I can’t wait to see him bat again,” ten Doeschate said, pointing to belief that the wicket-keeper batter will be ready to deliver when the opportunity comes.
